Tag: maldives news

Plans revealed for overdue development of IGMH

The US$7 million (MVR118 million) renovation of Malé’s Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is set to end the concerns of patients with no choice but to use the capital’s only public hospital.

Following yesterday’s announcement, dissatisfied users of IGMH – a gift from India – have told Minivan News that they are currently forced to use its services due to the lack of reasonably priced alternatives.

“The state should be able to offer better and more reliable services than this,” said Ahmed Arshad whose father recently passed away while on the hospital’s waiting list for a bed.

“While I am deeply displeased with the services there, I go there because there is little other choice,” said Shahid Ameen, 35.

According to a statement issued by the hospital’s management, the plans – which include a new 11-storey wing – represent the first major development undertaken since the hospital’s construction 19 years ago.

Plans also include renovation of the hospital’s infrastructure and the upgrading of the Villimalé Health Centre to a 15-bed hospital. IGMH’s new wing – set to be finished by December – will be dedicated to prenatal care and paediatrics and the current dialysis centre expanded.

In his capacity as acting health minister, Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim has also announced that the government is seeking to employ 225 additional doctors, who will enjoy revised pay structures – the details of which are yet to be revealed.

Current services

Aishath Inas – a 28 year old teacher – welcomes the proposed development, noting that it is currently “very difficult and time consuming” to get services at IGMH.

“There are long waiting lists even to get a bed in the ward, and people need to wait days to get the medical attention they seek,” she said.

Shahid Ameen noted that the current facilities were hard to locate, despite saying he frequently visits the hospital.

“As for getting appointments with specialists – especially those in the Internal Medicine or Orthopaedics department – well, better to just forget about it. You have to stand in queue for hours, sometimes even days, before you can get an appointment,” he said.

61-year-old Shaheeda Mansoor says she avoids going to the hospital if at all possible.

“It costs a bit more, but it is worth the money to go to clinics instead as you can get faster, and more quality services there when it comes to consultations. However, I still go to IGMH to do some tests as those services are rarely available in the clinics,” she explained.

Development

Indian company Renaatus Projects Pvt Ltd will be undertaking the development work which commenced on May 18 and is estimated to be completed within 15 months.

Under the project, the in-patient wards, attached bathrooms, the Intensive Care Unit, operation theaters, labour rooms, emergency room, and the hospital’s basement will be renovated.

Equipment worth MVR4.5 million (US$291,451) has been donated  to the dialysis centre by MedTech Pvt Ltd and Medicom Pve Ltd while a special consultation room will be set up for a recently-recruited specialist in kidney related illnesses.

The new Villimalé Hospital will contain a three-bed labour room, an operation theatre, five consultation rooms, and an emergency services room.

Nazim – who local media reports to be currently heading the Ministry of Health – announced that the state is looking specialists across numerous areas of expertise, including anaesthetists, cardiologists, dermatologists, gynaecologists, paediatricians, and psychiatrists.

At the press conference, State Minister of Health and Family Hussain Rasheed said that the state will complete the hiring of doctors within 45 days, with 91 medical officers to be placed in health centres across the country and specialists assigned to atoll and regional hospitals.

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Former home minister questions government’s sincerity regarding death penalty

Former Home Minister Hassan Afeef has questioned the government’s intention to carry out the death sentence under recently introduced regulations.

“I think they are just playing to the minds of the people because they say they want to protect the religion and protect the country as one of their campaign pledges,” he said.

Afeef – home minister between 2010 and 2012 – also questioned the ability of the current tainted judiciary to provide the certainty required for implementation of the death penalty under Islamic law.

“The judiciary might pass the sentence, there may be a verdict, but I don’t think the current regime will carry it out,” said Afeef.

“They know how politically influenced the judiciary is as the present government are the people who politically influence these judicial decisions – so they know why they make these decisions.”

Afeef’s comments follow further international headlines regarding the new regulations.

The AFP has described the recent murder conviction of a minor to be a “test case” for the new law, although the home minister had previously said that the rules will be applied retroactively to all pending death sentences.

In a statement released yesterday, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) joined the growing international criticism accusing the Maldives government of being out-of-step with its international commitments.

“The decision to reinstate the death penalty in the Maldives, in particular against minors, is an outrage and gravely at odds with the growing international momentum towards abolition,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

Lack of capacity

Speaking with Minivan News today, Afeef said the government’s attempts to carry out death sentences in accordance with Islamic Shariah were not possible with the criminal justice system as it is.

Afeef argued that those found guilty of such crimes beyond any doubt should be punished according to Islamic law, but questioned the capacity of the police and the judiciary to provide this certainty.

“According to Islam, when you pass the death penalty it has to be proven beyond doubt that the person has committed that crime and, according to the present situation – the present judiciary and the autocratic regime – we may find a situation where the person sentenced may not be the actual culprit,” he said.

The impartiality of the police and the judiciary has continued to be questioned this month, with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party describing failures investigate the multiple charges against Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed as “awe-inspiring”.

The statement said the failure of the police and the Judicial Services Commission to conclude investigations or to prosecute Judge Hameed were a clear indication of the status of the Maldives’ criminal justice system.

“Such a judge sitting on the supreme court bench is not recognised by any judicial or legal system in the world. And surely it is the general public who are facing injustice because of this,” said the party.

Hameed – who stands accused of appearing in a sex-tape as well as corruption – adjudicated on both the annulment the first round of last year’s presidential elections as well as the dismissal of the elections commissioner prior to parliamentary elections in March.

Both incidents were denounced by the international community, which has consistently called for judicial reform. Current Attorney General Mohamed Anil has pledged review and reform of the courts as part of the government’s legislative agenda.

Dheen and Qawm

Home Minister Umar Naseer’s January announcement that the government was making preparations to end the country’s 60-year moratorium on the death penalty culminated in the publication of new procedural regulations last month.

Following the gazetting of the new guidelines, Naseer said the chances of killing an innocent person after completing all the procedures in the regulation were “far-fetched” and “almost impossible”.

The regulation – which only allows implementation of death penalty when the sentence is delivered by the Supreme Court – will establish a death penalty committee to assure all procedures have been adhered to.

Mediation between the Islamic Ministry and the victim’s family is also mandated, with family members who are ‘warith’ (heirs in Shariah law) given an opportunity to pardon the convict with or without receiving blood money.

After having previously been opposed to the practice, President Abdulla Yameen announced a “change of heart” just weeks after winning his party’s presidential primary race last year.

Suggesting that “murder has to be punished with murder” in order to “save society”, Yameen embarked on a campaign of ‘dheen and qawm’ – religion and country – winning a drawn-out election in the second round last November.

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Ambassador to EU illegally paid US$17,000 as allowance in 2011, reveals audit report

The former Maldives Ambassador to the European Union (EU) was paid US$17,000 as a special allowance from September to December 2011 in violation of regulations governing allowances and benefits for employees at diplomatic missions, auditors have revealed.

The audit (Dhivehi) of the Foreign Ministry for 2011 has found that the Maldives embassy in the EU was instructed by Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem in August 2011 to pay former ambassador Ali Hussain Didi US$3,500 a month as a ‘special representational grant.’

As the allowance was not given to other ambassadors, Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim recommended recovering the funds from the responsible officials.

The report noted that allowances and benefits for staff at overseas diplomatic missions were specified in regulations enacted by the President’s Office and that the foreign minister did not have the power to authorise such payments.

Auditors also discovered that the former ambassador withdrew the US$3,500 allowance twice in October 2011.

Additionally, €7,566 was deposited to the ambassador’s bank account as a representational grant.

The regulations state that representational grants should be provided as reimbursement once bills of expenses incurred in the performance of diplomatic duties are submitted, the report explained.

However, the report noted that the ambassador did not submit bills for €7,566 worth of expenses.

Former ambassador Didi resigned from the post in July 2012 after 32 years of service.

The audit report also flagged discrepancies between the Foreign Ministry’s annual financial statement and its general ledger at the Finance Ministry, which were not reconciled.

While MVR145 million (US$9 million) was included in the general ledger as bilateral grants, officials at the ministry informed auditors that they were unaware of the inclusion.

Auditors discovered that the Finance Ministry transferred MVR138 million (US$8.9 million) of the grant aid to various state institutions, leaving MVR6.4 million (US$415,045) unaccounted for.

Other cases

The auditor general recommended an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission into the hiring of a British national as a senior advisor at the Maldives mission to the EU in March 2010.

Auditors discovered that two employment contracts were signed with the advisor in March 2010 by the foreign minister and state minister respectively, noting that auditors could not confirm which of the two agreements was valid.

While the agreement signed by the foreign minister stipulated that the advisor must be given six months notice before termination of the contract, the agreement signed by the state minister stipulated a four month notice period.

The advisor was paid €25,992 as salary and health insurance for six months when the contract was terminated in June 2011.

Among other cases flagged in the report, auditors found that MVR52,122 (US$3,380) was spent on business class plane tickets for the deputy high commissioner to the UK and his wife to travel to the Maldives in late 2011 in violation of the regulations, which state that only the high commissioner could travel on business class.

A total of MVR64,080 (US$4,155) was meanwhile spent in 2011 to celebrate the ministry’s 78th anniversary in violation of regulations.

The report also noted that the state-owned residence in London – Rosemont Avenue number 10 – had fallen into disrepair as a result of poor maintenance.

While the residence was transferred under the care of the Education Ministry in mid-2011, the report noted that it was not fit for use.

The audit report further revealed that the Maldivian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia as well as the embassy’s counsellor were paid allowances for periods when the pair were away on official trips and vacations.

As 13,957 Saudi riyals and 11,568 Saudi riyals respectively should have been deducted from the allowances in accordance with the regulations, the auditor general recommended recovering the money either from the pair or the officials at the Foreign Ministry responsible for the oversight.

The auditor general also recommended recovering MVR137,676 (US$8,928) spent out of the ministry’s budget to pay mobile phone bills for the foreign minister in 2011 as a phone allowance for ministers had not been approved by parliament.

Moreover, MVR192,416 (US$12,478) was spent to settle mobile phone bills of foreign ministry staff in violation of rules set by the Finance Ministry and Civil Service Commission.

The ministry’s audit report for 2010 had revealed that MVR235,001 (US$15,240) was spent to pay the minister’s phone bills.

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President to attend Indian prime minister’s investiture ceremony

President Abdulla Yameen has accepted new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend his investiture ceremony to be held in New Delhi.

In addition to President Yameen, Modi has invited all other leaders of SAARC countries to attend the ceremony which is scheduled to take place on May 26.

Yameen has made the enhancement of ties between the Maldives and India a priority since coming to office, with his first official state visit seeing him visit the Indian capital in January.

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Police conclude special operation regarding Taxi regulations

Police have revealed on 21 unlicensed drivers have been fined in a month-long operation to see if taxi drivers are observing the Taxi Driving Regulations.

During the operation – between April 16 and May 18 – police also fined 13 taxis who had tinted glass on their windows.

Additionally, 49 drivers have been fined for not displaying their licenses in a manner that can be easily seen by passengers while another 29 were fined for not correctly displaying the taxi number and name of its service station on the cab itself.

One person has been fined for not having fixed the vacancy indication board on his cab.

A total of 156 persons have been fined for various offences since the regulations – unpopular with many drivers – came into effect, revealed police.

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President appoints new member to the JSC

President Abdulla Yameen has today appointed Mohamed Faisal as the president’s appointee to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).

Faisal had previously filled the post of secretary general at the People’s Alliance – a party originally established by Yameen but dissolved by the Elections Commission in February this year.

The watchdog – charged with appointment, promotion, and disciplining of judges – has recently faced criticism from both Yameen and the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party for its failure to include investigations into sitting judges.

In addition to the president’s representative, the constitution requires the ten-member commission to include the Majlis speaker; a judge from the Supreme Court, High Court and trial courts; the chair of the Civil Service Commission; the attorney general; and representatives from the Majlis, the public and the legal profession.

Faisal replaces previous presidential appointee to the judicial watchdog, Shamsul Falah, who was appointed on November 28, 2013.

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Convicted drug kingpin Shafa caught in Colombo

Convicted drug kingpin Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzak has been caught in Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo in a joint operation by the Maldivian and Sri Lankan security services.

Shafaz, commonly known as Shafa, was temporarily released in February for three months to seek medical treatment said to be unavailable in the Maldives.

However, he failed to return during the allocated time period and did not ask for an extension.

“He will be brought back to the Maldives on the next flight. His failure to return in the designated time period is an offense,” Home Ministry’s media coordinator Thazmeel Abdul Samad told Minivan News.

The Criminal Court in November 2013 sentenced the 30-year-old to 18 years in prison and levied a fine of MVR75,000 (US$4,860) for drug trafficking.

Shafaz’s temporary release has garnered controversy, with news agency Haveeru claiming the Maldives Correctional Services (MCS) violated procedures in authorising his release.

The newspaper said it has documents suggesting widespread corruption and negligence by the medical board at the MCS and doctors at state owned Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Shafaz’s release.

Regulations require inmates to obtain signatures from two specialists to leave the country for medical treatment abroad, but only one doctor had signed the forms, Haveeru said.

The other individual who signed the document was not a doctor, but a prosthetist and orthotist – an individual who provides care for people requiring artificial limbs.

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) issued a warrant in April prohibiting the doctor from leaving the country. Haveeru has identified the doctor to be Indian national Dr Ganga Raju.

Although doctors at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) are required to hold discussions on cases where inmates need to seek medical care abroad, no such discussions took place, the newspaper alleged.

Further, although the MCS medical board noted the lack of two doctors’ signatures on the form, the board still authorised the release.

Moreover, the documents presented to the board did not contain details of why Shafaz required “urgent” medical care abroad for pain in his neck, and did not say that treatment was unavailable in the Maldives, the newspaper added.

Only two of the four members on the board authorised the release. They were representatives of the Maldives Police Services Dr Mohamed Fazneen and the Home Ministry’s Ishaq Mohamed. IGMH’s Dr Moosa Murad and MCS’ Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Hassan Zilal were on leave at the time.

Dr Mohamed Fazneen resigned from the board in mid March.

Commissioner of Prisons Moosa Azim has previously told Minivan News all due procedures were followed in the case.

When inmates are released for medical treatment abroad they are not accompanied by MCS employees and are not subject to any restrictions, the MCS has said.

“A medical officer does not have to accompany the inmate. He was allowed to leave under an agreement with his family. Family members will be held accountable for his actions, including failure to return,” Azim told Minivan News at the time.

Shortly after his departure to Sri Lanka, local media revealed that Shafaz had appealed his sentence at the High Court.

Shafaz was arrested on June 24, 2011, with 896 grams of heroin from a rented apartment in a building owned by ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives MP Ahmed ‘Redwave’ Saleem.

Former head of the Drug Enforcement Department, Superintendent Mohamed Jinah, told the press at the time that police had raided Henveiru Fashan based on intelligence information gathered in the two-year long ‘Operation Challenge’.

Jinah labeled Shafaz a high-profile drug dealer suspected of smuggling and supplying drugs since 2006.

He claimed that the network had smuggled drugs worth MVR1.3 million (US$84,306) to the Maldives between February and April 2011.

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New regulations require Supreme Court permission for attending overseas events

The Supreme Court has formulated new regulations making it mandatory for judges and judicial employees to seek permission to attend overseas workshops, seminars, conferences, or training programmes.

Made public yesterday (May 20), the regulations (Dhivehi) require judges and staff to submit an “overseas travel permission” form to the Supreme Court for approval if expenses are provided from the judiciary’s budget or by a foreign party.

The regulations appear to lend credence to what critics regard as the increasing centralisation of judicial administration, with the potential effect of compromising independence and increasing tension within the system.

Should permission for overseas travel be granted, the regulations state that a second form providing details of expenses must be submitted to the Department of Judicial Administration, after which approval must also be sought from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury.

Moreover, a report must be submitted to the Supreme Court at the end of the trip.

The regulation also states that equal opportunity must be provided for judges and judicial employees to participate in overseas programmes while all expenses must be made in accordance with public finance rules.

The regulations, however, exempt overseas travel by judges and judicial employees for participation in workshops or seminars in their personal capacity, so long as expenses are not covered by the state.

“Centralising administrative decisions”

The Supreme Court stated that the rules were formulated under authority granted by articles 7, 141, and 156 of the constitution.

While Article 141(b) states that the Supreme Court “shall be the highest authority for the administration of justice in the Maldives,” Article 156 states, “The courts have the inherent power to protect and regulate their own process, in accordance with law and the interests of justice.”

Referring to the articles, the Supreme Court earlier this month introduced new regulations requiring the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) to function under its direct supervision.

The DJA – tasked with management of the courts – was formed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) in October 2008 to replace the Ministry of Justice following the adoption of the new constitution.

While the DJA was to function under the JSC, in December 2008 the Supreme Court brought the department under its control before the Judicature Act in 2010 transferred the DJA to the new Judicial Council.

The Judicial Council was subsequently abolished by the Supreme Court in late 2010, however, in a ruling that struck down the relevant articles of the Judicature Act.

The apex court’s move to cement control over judicial administration is in contravention to the constitutional concept of the independence of courts, former JSC member Aishath Velezinee told Minivan News earlier this month.

The new regulations were the culmination of a “systematic takeover” of the DJA, she contended, as the department “should stand as an independent institution solely facilitating administration of the courts.”

In a comprehensive report on the Maldivian judiciary released last year, United Nations Special Rapporteur Gabriela Knaul wrote that “the dissolution of the Judicial Council and the direct control of the Supreme Court over the Department of Judicial Administration have had the effect of centralising administrative decisions in the hands of the Supreme Court.”

“This has undoubtedly contributed to the strong impression that lower courts are excluded from the administration of justice and decision-making processes,” the report stated.

Knaul also expressed concern with reports of the Supreme Court “not following due process in many of its decisions.”

“It is also troublesome that some of the Supreme Court’s interventions are perceived as arbitrary and as serving the judges’ own personal interests. Such misinterpretation of the independence of the judiciary needs to be urgently resolved both with regard to the public perception of the judiciary and the internal functioning of the justice system,” she advised.

“The Special Rapporteur heard several complaints about internal tensions in the judiciary, where lower courts are left with the feeling that the Supreme Court only works for its own interests, without taking into account the situation of other judges and magistrates.”

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MP Nihan slams police over dismantling of youth huts on Villimalé

Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP for Villimalé Ahmed Nihan has criticised the Maldives Police Services decision to dismantle huts built by young people on public land.

Speaking to Minivan News, Nihan said Villimalé’s youth population had used the huts as social spaces for over 20 years. Destroying the huts – which the youth call home – without showing them alternatives will only cause more social problems, claimed the MP.

The police dismantled the structures on the suburban island on May 18, claiming the huts were built illegally and encouraged gang activity though no unlawful substance or tools were discovered during the operation.

Nihan’s criticism of adequate youth facilities has been echoed by the Maldivian Democratic Party.

“Young people often do not have space in their houses to bring friends over as their houses are congested, that’s why they use these huts to meet up with their friends,’’ said Nihan.

“They believe that the places belong to them and gives the place some identity.’’

Encroaching on public land is an offense, acknowledged the MP, although he took issue with the police’s approach to dismantling huts.

“My concern is that the police did not discuss the issue with any of the youth before destroying the huts and have not even tried to advise them or try to make them understand that what they were doing was wrong and illegal,’’ he said.

“Destroying the huts is not the solution – there are many other things that have to be sorted out if the government wants the youth to be more productive and to stop them from getting involved in illegal activities.’’

For one thing, a youth center with modern facilities was needed to stop young people from encroaching on public space or engaging in illegal activities, he said.

“The youth center here is not functional at all because the staff handling the youth centre are not permanent, and does not have much interest in  his work. The centre is not opened regularly and there is no space for modern sports or entertainment.”

“I have MVR181,000 (US$11,715) worth of music instruments with me but I don’t have a place where the youth can access them. I don’t want to bring them into the PPM office here because not all the youth are PPM supporters – they will shout ‘Golhaabo’ [an offensive term used to refer to Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom] and run away,’’ he said.

Nihan also said that he had tried to take up this issue with Youth Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal but that the minister was too busy building stadiums for the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge cup.

He called on the government to provide more job opportunities for the youth and to direct them to useful work.

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Youth Wing Leader Mohamed Azmeel has also condemned the police’s actions saying: “I don’t think it is always drug dealers and gang members that hangs out in these spots. Besides, there are no other places to hangout.”

He noted that the new government had banned opening shops after 11pm to decrease crimes but that the crime rate has not dropped.

“We noticed that when police dismantled the huts, they targeted mostly places where MDP supporters hangout,” he said.

Youths construct structures on public spaces because there was no job opportunities for them and they have nothing to do, he added.

‘’If they don’t have anything to do they will gather to places like that to hangout,’’ he said. “The government pledged that 94,000 job opportunities will be created but they have not started implementing it,’’ he said.

While police claim the operation was carried out “after discussion with the city council”, Malé City Council – under whose jurisdiction the land currently is – has denied authorising the move, or being officially informed of it.

Despite recent assurances that the government’s youth policy was addressing the concerns of young people, youth leaders from all sides of the political divide have suggested a lack of youth participation in the administration’s planning.

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